Hi all!
Reviving an old post here because I haven't posted here in quite a long time.
Quote
I'm pretty sure that Gerben meant that the THREAD was dead...
As far as I know, Tysen is alive and fine, though real life is interfering with his ability to post much.
Yes, I'm still alive. Real life has taken a great deal of my time. I haven't played much bridge in years, but decided to drop by and see how things are going...
I'm still interested in a 0-16 Pass system and while it was mostly an exercise in pushing the limits of ACBL regulations, I think it may have some merits. I don't know if it's a competative system since I've never tried it out, but I don't think it's as horrible as it looks at first glance. The important thing to remember is that you have to judge the system as a whole, not just the pass part. You could be at a disadvantage when your opening bid is a pass, but if it helps all your other bids then it should be worth it. After all, after opening 1x partner knows you have an unbalanced hand. NT rebids are therefore totally free to have new artificial meanings to help with bidding afterwards.
I think Nick's original attempt to piece together the system I was developing has a few bits from other systems that don't belong together. If I remember right, I think I had come up with something like this:
Pass = 0-16 balanced
1
♣ = 10+ HCP, any 6+ card suit (single suiter) or any 3-suiter
1
♦,
♥,
♠ = 8+ (10+?) HCP, always a 2-suiter (5/4 or better). Suit bid or clubs is longest, so almost always 5+ cards (might also work with canape)
1NT = 17-21 balanced
2x = 4-9 HCP any 5+ suit (EHAA style) always unbalanced
A little wacky, but I always had wanted to give it a try. I don't think the pass is as vulnerable to preemption as some think. You should have good LoTT protection and opponents shouldn't go too crazy over it. I also had a response system to the 1
♣ opener, but I'm not sure where it is anymore. Interference doesn't hurt it much - with a 3-suiter you have an easy double (and partner can count on 4-card support) and with a long suit, you can bid it.
Anyway, thanks for bringing back some old memories.
Tysen